Search Tips

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry Internet site contains a number of tools to help you find up-to-date information about projects under consideration or undergoing an environmental assessment under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012. The Registry Internet site also contains information about ongoing environment assessments that started on or after October 30, 2003.

Please note that information about environmental assessments that have been archived can be found by searching the Canadian Environmental Assessment Archives. Most of the time, you'll find exactly what you're looking for with just a basic query. However, the following tips can help you make the most of your searches.

Project Search

This section of the Search Tips will give you guidance on the different fields that are available when conducting a search on the Registry Internet site. Note that by default, all dropdown options display "All", which is equivalent to no filter. You can choose additional criteria to give you more specific results. However, the number of results will be limited based on the criteria identified in your query. Simply enter information in the appropriate field(s) and click the "Search" button.

Here are the available search fields to find projects:

Keyword / Reference Number

In this box, type one or more words that best describe the information you are looking for. Typically, you would enter the name of a location or the project title in this field. If known, you can also enter the Reference Number of a project.

When using a search engine, ask yourself if your search terms are specific enough. The more terms entered, the more precise the results. Alternatively, you may wish to broaden your search terms to increase the number of results.

Each word entered in the keyword field is matched against the following information for a particular project:

  • Project title
  • Reference Number
  • Summary description of the project
  • Geographic location

Refer to the Technical Tips section for additional guidance.

Proponent

The proponent is the person or organization that proposes to undertake a project as defined under Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012. Enter one or more words that correspond to the name of the proponent.

Province / Territory

From the dropdown list, select the location associated with the proposed project.

Status

The status refers to the current stage of the federal environmental assessment process of a designated project in accordance with Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012. If known, select an option from the list provided. The selection includes:

  • Project under consideration: The Agency is reviewing a project description of a designated project to determine whether an environmental assessment is required.
  • Pre-environmental assessment phase: A project description or application has been submitted to the National Energy Board and is being reviewed prior to formally commencing an environmental assessment.
  • Environmental assessment not required: Following the review of the project description, the Agency determined that an environmental assessment is not required.
  • Environmental assessment required: Following the review of a project description of a designated project, the Agency determined that an environmental assessment of the designated project is required.
  • Environmental assessment in progress: Environmental assessments are defined as "in progress" when the process is underway and an environmental assessment decision has not been taken.
  • Environmental assessment completed: An environmental assessment is defined as completed when an environmental assessment decision has been taken. The implementation of appropriate mitigation measures and a follow-up program occur after the environmental assessment decision.
  • Environmental assessment terminated: An environmental assessment may be terminated at any time, such as when the proponent withdraws the project application, or the nature of the project has changed and no longer required to undergo an environmental assessment.

Assessment Type

Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 sets out procedures for carrying out the federal environmental assessment process of projects and describes different types of environmental assessments that may be required. If known, select the environmental assessment type from the list provided. The selection includes:

  • Environmental Assessment to be determined: The project description of a designated project is being reviewed to determine whether an environmental assessment is required.
  • Environmental Assessment by Responsible Authority: An assessment of the environmental effects of a designated project that is conducted by a federal responsible authority in accordance with the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012.
  • Environmental Assessment by Review Panel: An assessment of the environmental effects of a designated project by a review panel referred by the Minister of the Environment.
  • Environmental Assessment Substituted: The environmental assessment process has been substituted with the process of another jurisdiction.
  • Transitional Screening: An environmental assessment of a project that commenced under the former Act which was designated by the Minister of the Environment in order to continue under the former Act.
  • Transitional Comprehensive Study: A comprehensive study type of environmental assessment that commenced under the former Act and that was ongoing at the time the provisions of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 came into force.
  • Transitional Panel Substitution: An assessment by review panel that was substituted under the former Act and that was ongoing at the time the provisions of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 came into force.

Department or Organization

When searching for a project using a department or organization name, it is important to keep in mind that this search is based on who is responsible for conducting the environmental assessment. The departments and organizations listed, include both current and former department and organization names.

In 2015, several changes were announced to departmental names. If you are looking for a project that was terminated or completed prior to the department name change, search by the former name. If you are looking for an ongoing project, search according to the current department and organization name.

Nature of Project

The nature of the project refers to the categories of projects designated under Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012. If known, choose an option from the list provided.

Is the project assessed by another jurisdiction?

A project that is subject to an environmental assessment under Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 may also be subject to an environmental assessment by another jurisdiction, such as a provincial, territorial or foreign government, or an Aboriginal self-governing body. If this is the case, select the other jurisdiction from the list provided.

Is the process delegated?

If the environmental assessment is also subject to an environmental assessment by another jurisdiction, the environmental assessment process may be delegated to that jurisdiction by formal agreement. If this is the case, select the other jurisdiction from the list provided.

Date Range

The date fields allow you to search for a project under consideration or undergoing an environmental assessment based on a specified date range. If applicable, you can enter a start or end date using the calendar provided. The date format is always YYYY-MM-DD (four-digit year, two-digit month, two-digit day).

Document Search

Here are the available search fields to find documents:

Title

The document title usually describes the nature and subject of the document and, when applicable, may contain the name of the author or recipient of a particular document. Enter one or more words that correspond to the title of the document you are looking for. The search engine will find documents where the title contains all of the words, entered in no specific order.

Reference Number

To facilitate reference and retrieval, a reference number is automatically assigned to each document. If known, enter the document reference number in this field.

Category

To facilitate access to typical documents that may be available online during the consideration of a project or the environmental assessment, documents are organized by category. You may choose from one of the following document categories:

  • For Public Participation: This category contains all documents related to public participation opportunities. It may include notices requesting public input and documents prepared to participate in a project under consideration or an environmental assessment.
  • News Releases: This category contains all news releases that have been issued in relation to the federal environmental assessment process. This groups all major milestones in the environmental assessment process under one category.
  • Comments Received/Responses: This category contains comments received by the public or other parties in relation to the project or the environmental assessment and, when applicable, responses to comments received.
  • Panel Records: This category contains all documents produced by the review panel or its secretariat, except those produced during the public hearing.
  • Hearing Documents: This category applies to review panel assessments only and contains all documents related to the public hearing process.
  • Additional Information: This category contains all other records related to the project or the environmental assessment that are available online.

Date Range

The date fields allow you to search for documents within a date range based on the document date. If applicable, you can enter a start or end date using the calendar provided or by entering a date according to the format YYYY-MM-DD.

Technical Tips

The tips in this section will help you get the best search results possible and help you use the tool to its fullest potential. Select one of the following topics for addition information:

Wildcards

The search engine will find projects under consideration or undergoing an environmental assessment that contain all of the words, or parts thereof, entered in no specific order on a wildcard basis by default. For example:

  • A search for [wind power] will find projects under consideration or undergoing an environmental assessment containing the words [wind] and [power].
  • A search for the word [fish] will find projects under consideration or undergoing an environmental assessment containing the word [fish] within a word, such as [finfish] or [shellfish].

Consequently, do NOT enter any symbols (*) to find variants of words as it may restrict your results.

Exact words

Double quotes can be used to search for sequential text. By adding double quotes around a set of words, the search engine will find projects under consideration or undergoing an environmental assessment with those words in that exact order.

Capitalization

The search engine is NOT case sensitive. If you search for a word in lower case or containing a capital letter, the results will include projects under consideration or undergoing an environmental assessment containing this word regardless of any capitalization in its spelling.

For example, [Highway] finds [Highway], [highway], [HIGHWAY], [HighWay], etc.

Special Characters

Following the same principle as case sensitivity, searching for a word without specifying any accents or special characters will find both versions, words without accents and words with accents. This is particularly useful when searching for projects under consideration or undergoing an environmental assessment that contain words in another language.

For example, a search on the term [Édifice] finds all [Édifice], [édifice], [Edifice], [edifice].